Derek Carr spent more time on his back than most quarterbacks in the NFL last season.

Just two seasons after Carr was sacked only 16 times (34th-most in the NFL and better than three separate Browns quarterbacks), the Raiders’ porous offensive line surrendered 51 sacks in 2018. Yes, 51. Carr sustained only 36 sacks combined over the two seasons prior, then tied for third in the NFL for most sacks taken last season, trailing only Deshaun Watson (62) and Dak Prescott (56).

Only two players remain from that dominant 2016 offensive line, center Rodney Hudson and right guard Gabe Jackson. This offseason the Raiders traded former All-Pro left guard Kelechi Osemele to the Jets and cut former Pro Bowl tackle Donald Penn.

Carr has yet to sniff that near-MVP form he flashed in 2016, in part because he hasn’t had nearly as much time to throw. Unlocking Carr’s true potential under Jon Gruden first requires that time, and then the decision on whether Carr is indeed the Raiders’ quarterback of the future will follow. Both Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock have said step No. 1 in unleashing Carr is surrounding him with the right pieces. The Raiders had almost all the wrong pieces last season.

The Raiders’ current starting offensive line is composed of, from left to right, Kolton Miller, Denzelle Good, Hudson, Jackson and recently signed Trent Brown, the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history and biggest player in the league at 6-foot-8 and 380 pounds.

Miller battled injuries all last year in a rocky rookie season after the Raiders selected him 15th overall. Fellow rookie Brandon Parker was thrust into the starting right tackle gig after Penn injured his groin in Week 4, and he too struggled. This year Miller will either play left or right tackle, with Brown on the other side, and Parker will serve as the swing tackle. Hudson will start at center and Jackson at guard, though on which side of Hudson remains unclear. Jackson is naturally a left guard, so that switch would be seamless.

Whichever guard spot Jackson doesn’t play is the final question on a reconstructed offensive line the Raiders hope is far better than a year ago. Good, who started three games at right guard in place of Jackson last year, is currently penciled in to the starting five. The Raiders re-signed him on a one-year deal earlier this offseason.

However, the Raiders could certainly upgrade from Good in the draft, especially late in the first round or early in the second. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah currently has the Raiders selecting Boston College guard Chris Lindstrom with the 27th overall pick.

Here are three other options late in the first round or early in the second if the Raiders choose to pluck a potential starting offensive lineman in that range:

Cody Ford, Oklahoma: Ford started at right tackle for the Sooners in front of Kyler Murray, but he can play guard in the NFL, too.

Dalton Risner, Kansas State: Risner loved playing for Gruden’s North squad at the Senior Bowl, and even pushed around the Raiders coach (in a good way) after one drill because of how well he performed.

Bobby Evans, Oklahoma: The Sooners had a really good offensive line last year. Evans played high school ball with Murray.

A starting guard is just one of many needs for the Raiders in the 2019 draft, and a couple pass rushers, a slot receiver, a tight end and a cornerback might all be higher on the Raiders’ priorities list than a fifth starter on the offensive line.

That doesn’t mean the Raiders won’t pick one early, especially if they trade back from No. 4 and suddenly have five or six picks in the first two rounds instead of four.

Most Popular

Matt Schneidman joined the Bay Area News Group in September 2017 to cover the Oakland Raiders. He graduated from Syracuse University in Spring 2017 and has interned with The Buffalo News, the New York Post and USA TODAY.